Soon we’ll start seeing a whole lot more of Mendocino Farms as the brand gears up for expansion.

Foodable first visited the brand back in 2014 when Judy Han was still Mendo’s executive chef. In an episode for our show Fast Casual Nation, we discussed the restaurant’s approach to gourmet sandwiches, its sourcing practices and the relationships this small chain develops with local farmers in each community it serves.

The Southern California-based, fast casual restaurant chain can be found in 16 locations across Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. Now, it plans to open more eateries across California and beyond.

The news come as it was announced that a growth equity firm called TPG Growth has acquired a majority stake in Mendocino Farms. Details of the transaction were not disclosed, but what’s for sure is that co-founders Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen are still the largest individual shareholders of Mendocino Farms.

To support the new expansion efforts the brand is joined by industry veteran Harald Herrmann as Mendocino’s New CEO. In the past, Herrmann served as president of Darden’s Specialty Restaurant Group and co-founder of The Yard House.

“Mario and I have been looking for the right partners to help achieve our mission of growing Mendo, while staying true to the brand’s culture and values. We are thrilled to have Harald and TPG Growth as our new partners,” said Co-Founder Ellen Chen, in a press release.

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